Dear Readers,
Let's talk about develop: what it is, what it might be, what it can do for you, and what
you can do for it. This journal exists to meet your needs, so I hope you'll help us out by
reading on and giving us your two cents (if not your articles).
Originally, develop was thought of as "heavily commented code": along with the
accompanying CD, it was meant as a vehicle for providing well-explained code that
you, the developer, could plug into your application with the confidence that it would
be compatible with future system software. To ensure compatibility, articles and code
were written primarily by Apple engineers and heavily reviewed by other engineers
at Apple.
But other types of articles have been submitted, and some have made it into print.
Most notable was the ground-breaking Threads article in Issue 6, the first article for
which source code was not provided. This lack of source code did not go unnoticed by
our readers, yet the overall response to the Threads package was extremely favorable.
So we've moved from always providing source code to providing it if at all possible .
We still make every effort, however, to give you something that won't break in future
systems.
Recently we've had some requests to publish articles that describe algorithms or
ideas, not code. Our current feeling is that as long as an article can help you create good
Apple products, we'll consider publishing it. Please let us know what you'd like to see.
There are some Apple engineers who are willing to contribute to develop but would
like to know just what developers want to see. We get a lot of input from Developer
Technical Support about what you seem to need the most help with--but let us at
develop know directly, and we can try to make it happen faster.
Regarding who writes the articles: we feel that as long as the code is reviewed by
Apple engineers, there's no need to rely solely on people at Apple for contributions.
We'd like to encourage all of you to think about what you'd like to share with your
fellow developers--something that would help them and also give you a way to
showcase and release your code in a way that wouldn't otherwise be possible. We offer
something those other journals don't: not only review by Apple engineers and the
assurance of future compatibility, but also an editorial process that will make your
prose shine so brilliantly you'll need to wear shades. We'll assign an editor who will
help turn your raw material into a polished piece--or tread lightly on it if that's all
you need. We'll give your article that professional look and feel without killing the
humor. So, if you're willing, please send me your ideas or outlines, and we'll take it
from there.
Back to the subject of your opinions about develop : Many of you who are Apple
Associates and Partners have by now been formally surveyed on how you rate various
support-related materials, of which develop is only one shining example. We'd also
like to hear from the rest of you, however informally. I can't overemphasize how
important your opinions are and how much they'll affect develop 's future. So please,
express yourself! Tell us what's good or bad about this journal's content, format,
delivery, or anything else. We're all ears.Issue 8 ended with this trivia question: What
word was used instead of "click" to describe the action of pressing a button on that first
mouse? The answer, which none of you have gotten as of this writing, is "bug." Maybe
you'll do better on this next one: The original hardcover Inside Macintosh Volumes
I-III had a running pattern of Macintosh computers across its endpapers (those heavy
sheets at the very beginning and end of hardcover books). What broke this pattern, and
why?
Caroline Rose Editor
CAROLINE ROSE (AppleLink: CROSE) has been writing computer documentation ever
since Steve Jobs was barely a teen. When his company moved in down the block from
where she worked as a writer and then a programmer, Caroline took no notice--until
they asked if she wanted to write what even then was known as Inside Macintosh .
Around the time she completed that three-volume tome, Steve left Apple to form NeXT,
and Caroline signed on to launch NeXT's Publications group. A year ago she returned to
Apple to take on the fun-filled job of being develop's editor in chief. For fun outside of
work, Caroline dances up a storm, listens to music, plays with her cat and other
friends, treks through the wilderness (in boots or on skis), swims like a maniac,
reads fiction (not sci-fi!), studies Italian, does Tai Chi, and never stops exploring new
ways to have fun.*
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*
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see the reverse of the order form on the last page of this issue. Back issues are also on
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